Meal-kit supplier HelloFresh has enjoyed a notable uptick in popularity since the outset of the pandemic. And, even as COVID-19 vaccinations have increased and consumers have started to dine in restaurants more and increase their …
Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: employment, earnings from The J. M. Smucker Company (SJM) and more. Is America …
Stress and uncertainty cause people to seek out comfort rather than challenge. And, with 2020 presenting so many challenges, it’s no wonder that the “comfort economy” is booming. Trends in sectors ranging from technology to …
Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: food inflation, earnings from Cracker Barrel (CBRL), Sanderson Farms (SAFM), Costco (COST) and …
With over half of Americans now being vaccinated, travel is making a major comeback after more than a year of pandemic lockdowns. AAA forecasts that 37 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from …
The mindful drinking movement has been gaining traction for several years, with “sober curious” consumers opting for no- or low- alternatives to reduce their alcohol intake. Throughout the pandemic, demand for non-alcoholic beers, wines, and spirits increased, with consumers drinking most frequently while relaxing at …
As if the lingering pandemic hasn’t caused enough headaches for restaurant operators, a new issue has emerged: Cicadas – lots and lots of cicadas. For the past 17 years, so-called Brood X cicadas have slowly …
Public health experts have warned that stopping COVID-19 – or at least mitigating its severity and rapid spread – will not mean the world is safe; rather, it’s just a matter of time before the …
Nothing says Cinco de Mayo like tacos and guacamole, and this year avocados appear to be plentiful – at least in the near term. Some 100 million Americans are expected to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, …
Online grocery usage has skyrocketed in recent years: 73% of consumers had purchased grocery items online within the last three months, compared to 17% in 2017, according to a survey by Power Reviews. Of course, …
In many ways, the pandemic has been a boom time for third-party delivery platforms, which have benefited from consumers largely hunkering down at home and summoning dinners to their doorstep. But business is rapidly changing …
While grocery store owners benefited from a rush of customers throughout much of the past year as the pandemic raged, owners now have growing concern that their bottom line will look far less rosy in …
Breaking up is hard to do, but Walmart and McDonald’s seem to have made the split on decent terms. McDonald’s recently announced plans to shutter hundreds of its locations positioned within Walmart stores. After the …
The push for the Raise the Wage Act, which would increase the minimum wage to $15, is pressuring U.S. businesses like restaurants that depend on keeping labor costs in check to survive. QSRs are finding …
Some coffee purveyors say they’re not too worried – at least in the short term – about the shipping container shortage that is pressuring already tight coffee supplies, the result of a South American drought …
Pizza has been in high demand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But, as indoor dining resumes and competition between food pick-up and delivery services heats up, how will major pizza chains maintain sales momentum? Major …
During the pandemic, restaurants have had to find new ways of winning over consumers. Those who are innovating seem to be recovering well from pandemic-related losses. “300 million people wake up hungry each day, and …
Fast-food restaurant chains are turning their attention to food trucks as a way to give pandemic-beleaguered franchisees an alternative channel to boost sales damaged by restrictions on the number of customers who can dine in …
Increasing sales through connected TV and display ads may seem difficult during a pandemic, but that’s precisely what Filippo Berio and Valassis set out to do. In this episode of the Food Institute Podcast, Filippo …
Throughout the pandemic, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies benefitted from purchases of classic CPG items like canned vegetables, pasta, and coffee, as consumers stocked up during quarantine. However, as the country opens back up, CPG …
Wendy’s relaunched its national breakfast menu just weeks before states began issuing stay-at home orders due to COVID-19. While breakfast sales at most fast-food chains stagnated during the pandemic, the Wendy’s breakfast menu performed surprisingly …
Non-profit organization Conscious Kitchen recently shifted an entire California school district’s food supply chain to 100% organic. The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) and Conscious Kitchen provided their first 100% USDA-certified organic weekly …
Distributing hope in a pandemic became a new business requirement during the past year, and DMA President and CEO Pat Mulhern recently shared how the foodservice and food distribution industries pivoted to contend with stay-at-home …
Tim Hand and Bruce Reinstein, partners with food industry consulting firm Kinetic12, and Wade Hanson, principal with foodservice consulting firm Technomic, participated in a webinar yesterday hosted by The Food Institute and DMA titled “2021 …
Will the pandemic gains grocery e-commerce saw in 2020 remain in the new year? The Food Institute Podcast welcomed back BrickMeetsClick Chief Architect Bill Bishop to discuss the grocery e-commerce space at the end of …
Several companies have recently made announcements regarding bonuses and hazard pay, following reports of retailers not sharing enough of their pandemic profit with their employees. Here are a few: Amazon After ending its $2-an-hour pay …
Financial strains caused by the pandemic are the main source of worry concerning grocery prices, according to dunnhumby’s latest Consumer Pulse Survey. Forty-nine percent of respondents said their personal finances were poor—a 20% increase since …
Rick Camac, Dean of Restaurant & Hospitality Management at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, joined the Food Institute’s Brian Choi and Chris Campbell to discuss how restaurateurs have been forced to …
Food Institute Focus – Changing Food Trends Fuel Pasta Popularity
Food Institute Focus – Pandemic Concern Remains High
Who are the pre- and post-pandemic pacesetters? Joan Driggs, vice president of content and thought leadership at IRI, joined the Food Institute’s Chris Campbell and Brian Choi to discuss IRI’s 2019 Pacesetter report, including the …
As the majority of us are eating more at home, we are seeing and experiencing food in news ways and finding ourselves with extra time to experiment with new foods, cooking, and baking. With that …
Food Institute Focus – Consumer Perceptions of Food Industry During Pandemic
During the coronavirus pandemic, drive-thrus have become a crucial element for restaurants. In March, drive-thrus generated $8.3 billion across the fast food industry, an increase from $8 billion in sales over the same period in …
Food Institute Focus – Consumers Feel Guilty About Having Food Delivered
Food Institute Focus – Demand for Small Business Loans Slows
